Idea 10: “In-the-meme-time” braces – a meme in the making

Meme (noun) – a pervasive thought or thought pattern that replicates itself via cultural means

There are different theories for how a meme is created. Whilst on a walk-and-talk, organized by one of my friends, the question was asked whether or not a meme could be actively created and soon the challenge was laid down. I was to try and create a fashion meme from scratch with the creative assistance and advice of those endowed with more technical design skills than myself. We are then to document its creation, growth and (hopefully) the spread of an intentionally created meme.

Fact: Your favourite pieces of clothing are those that are well worn. The pieces of clothing that define you are the ones you remove from the charity bag behind your partner’s back, arguing for their rightful place on your easiest to reach shelf.

That faded pair of jeans with a hole in the crotch becomes the incarnation of comfort, familiarity and nostalgia for many. That for me is the allure of vintage clothing – someone else wearing clothes up to level “worn in” and you then taking it from there.

Another quality of vintage clothes is that they hold a story. Just the process of buying “vintage” leads to a post-buy conversation that could never be matched had it been bought from a high street chain.

It is this “story” associated to vintage clothes that I am aiming to capture. I picked braces for the following reasons:

• Braces are easily recognisable – no point starting an underwear meme as testing for it would be quite complicated!
• Braces are humorous – the idea of getting people to wear them makes me smile.
• Braces are typically seen as “uncool” – turning this image around without re-designing the braces will be a challenge in itself.
•  People do not mind sharing braces – a key characteristic for my idea to succeed.

So how will people interact with the braces?

• A tag with a unique code will be stitched to each pair of braces.
• This unique code can then be used to log a story about the braces on a community website.
• Stories are posted / tweeted / liked using the tried and tested channels of social media.
• As the braces are shared / sold / gifted, the stories remain with them and are added to by each new owner.
• As the number of stories attached to a pair of braces increase, so does the intrinsic value of the braces.

Where are we with this at the moment?

Twelve pairs of braces have arrived in various shapes and colours – some prettier than others. The next steps will be to get labels printed, packaging sorted out, a decent looking website created and then getting the “word out on the street”.

The most exiting aspect for me is to see what kind of stories people come up with. Should we ask them to state whether it is fact or fiction? Or, should we let readers enjoy a bit of mystery? These are all details that will be sorted as we go along. Most of all, it will be fun.